A patient lift and transfer device is commonly known as a device that transports a patient who is in a first position at a first support. The patient may, for example, be in a supine position on a bed. The patient may be moved to a second support and positioned in a selected position which may be the same or different from the first position by such a patient lift and transfer device. For example, the patient may be moved to a wheelchair and deposited on the wheelchair in a sitting position. Commonly, the device is movable on wheels from a first location adjacent to the first support to a second location adjacent to the second support.
Typically, a number of operations must be performed to effect such a transfer, especially since the patient is often unable to assist the attendant or attendants performing the transfer. For example, in moving a patient from a bed to a wheelchair, the lift and transfer device typically must be moved to a position to interact with the patient on the bed. Support means must be interposed between the patient and the bed so that the patient can be lifted by the support means. The patient is then lifted from the bed so as to be movable free of engagement with the bed or any bed frame. The device is next wheeled to a position adjacent to the wheelchair. The patient must be lifted to a position above the wheel chair and lowered into it. The device must be formed to permit movement of the patient into engagement with the wheelchair without being blocked by elements of the wheelchair. Prior to this operation, the patient must be moved from the supine position to the sitting position. Once the patient is lowered into the wheelchair, the portions of the device between the patient and the wheelchair must be removed without undue discomfort to the patient.
In many common prior art embodiments, the above-described operations require the services of two attendants, and may require as many as eight minutes for their performance. In the context of hospitals and nursing homes, it is very important to reduce labor requirements wherever possible. Facilities face significant budget constraints. The current levels of staffing for a ward or a facility give each nurse or other attending staff member only so many minutes per patient per shift. Accordingly, reducing the labor effort required for patient transfer would be expected to enable a higher level of patient service for a given budget.
In the case of home health care, a patient might have only a single aide on duty. Performing a transfer that requires two attendants requires making special arrangements with a care provider agency to provide a second aide to accomplish the transfer. The requirement for a second aide can mean the difference for a patient between being able to be home and having to be institutionalized. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to provide a lift and transfer device that can be reasonably operated by a single person.
The well being and longevity in service of health care personnel is adversely affected by these difficulties in the physical handling of patients. According to a United States Department of Defense Study, nursing is a high-risk occupation, second only to heavy industry, because the high volume of lifting patients every day leads to fatigue, muscle strain, and injury. The study states that 12% of nurses leave the profession each year due to chronic or acute back injuries and pain. According to nursing literature, there is no ergonomically safe way to lift patients. The weight of an adult patient exceeds tolerance limits set by the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) for compressive forces to the lumbar spine. Accordingly, devices that provide for ease of patient handling, particularly when only one attendant is available, can increase the quality and availability of nursing service by helping to reduce the number of experienced health care providers who need to leave the profession.
Other significant concerns in lifting and transferring patients are the comfort and security of the patient. In order to lift a patient, many prior art devices use different types of slings which are each supported on a lift. A body sling is used to support a patient's entire body. The sling is lifted and moved to transport the patient. However, the use of such body slings has many common downsides. For example, even when the body sling has more than one support point, the sling may tend to rock. Rocking causes a feeling of insecurity to the patient. Further, it is difficult to center the patient in a sling so that the patient's body will not slide along the surface of the sling to reach a position of equilibrium. Many patients have fragile skin, and even the limited abrasion caused by normal sling materials and minimal patient sliding can cause skin tears.
Another currently available sling is an elongated, wide strip anchored at a first end to a lift support point. The sling is brought under a first armpit of the patient, around the patient's back, below a second armpit and back to the front of the patient. A second end of the sling is fixed to the lift support point. During lifting, the sling applies a significant portion or all of the patient's weight to the patient's armpits. Accordingly, the sling can cut into the patient and cause great discomfort, which it is highly desirable to minimize. Further, this pressure to the underarms can impede blood flow and lead to undesirable effects. Such devices may also cause the patient emotional as well as physical discomfort since the patient may feel insecurity while suspended in midair.
Other previous devices for patient transfer provide a structure that will support the patient during the transfer process and through the lowering of the patient into the wheel chair or other second location. In prior art devices with back and buttocks support for the patient, reliable support is provided during the transfer process. However, once the patient is in the second location, the supports are still in place between the patient and the wheelchair. The patient must be leaned forward to allow removal of the back support. Other manipulation must be performed to remove the support from between the patient and the wheelchair seat. Each manipulation of the patient that must be performed may increase discomfort to the patient. Where the patient is fragile, each manipulation additionally presents a risk of injury. It is highly desirable, then, to provide a transfer device in which the amount of manipulation of a patient in a second location is minimized in order to remove the transfer device.
Prior art transfer devices are also not widely available for bariatric patients. Bariatrics is a branch of medicine specializing in the treatment of overweight and obesity. Many bariatric patients weigh 350 to 750 pounds. A number of nursing homes limit the weight of patients they will admit to 300 pounds. One reason for this is the difficulty in handling patients over 300 pounds. A transfer device adaptable to bariatric patients would enable a wider range of patients to be served and provide a competitive advantage to health care providers using them.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an alternative device and method for patient lift and transfer that solves these problems. The present subject matter addresses this need.